Motorola DROID XYBOARD hands-on rundown, complete with accessories

This month we bore witness to Motorola’s newest wave of Android tablets, that being both the DROID XYBOARD 10.1 and the DROID XYBOARD 8.2, both of them great candidates for replacing your now-aging XOOM tablet if you bought in to the Android tablet game earlier this year, and fabulous places for those new to Android to jump in on this game for a high quality experience – now have a look at all of our hands-on videos here in one post, as well as our final judgement on whether or not you should pick one up. We’ve got hands-on videos of both models of what’s also known as the XOOM 2 here as well as glances at the accessories you can pick up from Verizon as well. Let them be judged!

First you must look at the 10.1-inch version of this tablet as it’s the one closest to the original XOOM. This device runs Android 3.0 Honeycomb, the operating system made by Google to work specifically with tablets, and has a dual-core processor not unlike what you’ll find in the Galaxy Nexus. You’ll find a few bits of modification in the software compared to the XOOM which runs the same operating system, and its both the thinness and the improvement in form that’ll really have you wanting to make the switch.

Next you’ll be looking at the 8.2-inch version of the tablet, this one alternately titled the “Media Edition” because of its slightly improved speaker system. You’ll find when using both tablets side-by-side that this tablet’s sound quality isn’t VASTLY improved, certainly not enough to merit a real change in name, but the portability of this smaller iteration does have its advantages. If I had a choice between this 8.2 version and the larger 10.1 version, I’d take the smaller.

Then there’s accessories galore. First take a peek at this HD Dock which will work with most any Motorola device in their most recent suite of Android dual-core smartphones and tablets, and works wonders for your media setup at home. Consider using this to watch Netflix on your HDTV via its microHDMI port on the back. It works like a charm!

The Wireless Keyboard with Trackpad is next, this little number not the most fantastic solution we’ve seen by any means, but it does work. It’ll also connect to any Android you’ve got that’s got Bluetooth in its guts. Type away!

There’s two accessories you’ll want to stay away from: the Wireless Keyboard with Portfolio and the Protective Portfolio. Both of these accessories you’ll see in the video below this paragraph looking less than enticing because of their lack of superiority in the area of industrial design. When you’ve got something that’s designed to be folded up, it’s best to check that it actually folds up before putting it on the market. The Protective Portfolio also looks like an iPad 2 Smart Cover but does not deliver.

SO if you’re going to stick on Motorola’s team for Android tablets this season, pick up the HD Dock and seek out 3rd parties for any other accessories you need. I’d recommend the 8.2 version of the tablet over the 10.1 just because the smaller size seems more ideal to me for its portability, and the quality of both tablets is pretty darn hardcore any way you carve it. Let us know if you’ve got any other questions on either tablet or the accessories and your answers shall be spewn below!